Confession: I have read Red, White, & Royal Blue almost ten times since I first discovered it a year ago. My sister has too, and our shared kindle copy now has 31 notes and 92 highlights. (side note, everyone should share an account with their best friend because it’s just notes in the margins, back and forth, forever, and it’s the freaking best…) Anyway, I have been impatiently waiting to read McQuiston’s sophomore novel for months, and I literally squealed out loud on the 6 train when I got the email from Netgalley saying I was approved to read it early.

I’ve been burned by authors before with their follow-ups-- looking at you, Sally Thorne (don’t worry though, I have faith that your third novel will slap), so I tried my best to approach this one with caution.

The good:

The book grabs your heart right away and hits you right in the feels. It reads like a love letter to my wonderful city, even if it does take place on not-my-subway-line. Part of the magic of the author’s first book was the friend dynamic. They nail the group chat - it makes you 20 something again, feeling invincible because you have your crew with you, and everything is kind of perfectly imperfect. I’ll even go as far as saying McQuiston is the master of the idiosyncratic friend group. From Pez and Nora to Niko and Annie/Isaiah, I love them all and desperately want them to be my friends.

I really appreciated the prevalent role music played in the story and that it sets the soundtrack for the whole book. Pro-tip, every time a song is mentioned, queue it up as you read the scene.


The not-so-good, as I can’t bring myself to type the word “bad” in relation to anything McQuiston does:

The mysticism almost threw me off, but not quite. Niko’s spirituality managed to complement the whole “lesbian time-travel, stuck in the subway” thing, but at times it brought me out of the story.
I missed the pop culture references and politics of her first novel. I swear, when I saw the words “Bitch McConnell” written in RW&RB, I laughed so hard that I cried. Bringing NYC into the mix makes up for it slightly, but not enough.
Also missing: the love letters between the characters. I was slightly mollified by the radio song requests via text message, but I needed more.
Finally, I don’t think I loved August the same way that I loved Alex. I’m wondering if it’s because her vulnerability was much harder to witness than his was, but it didn’t reach me the same way.

I can’t believe I’m actually going to put a four-star rating on this book, but I think I have to. If Goodreads allowed half stars, it would definitely get 4.5.

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This book was absolute magic, but I am not surprised in the slightest. Casey Mcquiston has definitely done it again but in a completely different way. I fell in love with August and Jane simultaneously, along with the side characters like Wes and Isaiah, Myla and Niko, etcetera etcetera. The love story was great, the time travel sci fi side was great, the drag queens were GREAT. This story definitely became one of my new favorites!

What a great book - the concept was original, the romance was tangible, and the found family was wonderful. There were a couple of different endings that it could have had, and I would have been happy with any of them.

RW&RB lovers - gather round!⁣
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Casey McQuiston has absolutely done it again…thank you to @smpromance for this ARC, this book is out June 2021! #partner⁣
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This is how I see the MLU (McQuiston Literary Universe): RW&RB is the troublemaking, chaotic, wild ride of a younger brother, and One Last Stop is the more organized, rule-following Type A older sister. OLS proves that RW&RB was no fluke...Casey is the real deal, and shows confidence & growth in this second novel, but as the plot dips its toes into magical realism, there are rules this time. ⁣
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After transferring from one college to the next, unsure of who she is when she graduates, August moves to NYC. She is immediately dropped into an ecosystem of wild, lively, (& a little bit psychic) energy that is her new apartment & cast of roommates. August (a Virgo & def type 5 enneagram) memorizes her subway line, her new city, & especially the hot girl she keeps running into on the subway, Jane. But August realized Jane is *always* there…she soon learns that Jane is trapped on the subway…forever? Is she dead? Is she alive? Is she single and can August date her plz?⁣
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What I thought would be a been-there-done-that story with a McQuiston twist, instead became a deeper mystery, diving into August’s unique childhood, and exploring the consequences of relentlessly searching for answers to these mysteries. ⁣
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(But, I have to be honest, there is one rule to this magical realism plot that made me seriously cringe, but I do feel confident recommending that most McQuiston lovers will see this as the cherry on top - you’ll know it when you read it!)⁣
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Full of heart, characters that I can already picture fan art for, & a touch of city magic…One Last Stop is both nothing & everything like RW&RB, and I have a feeling we’ll be watching the evolution of McQuiston’s careful character crafting for years to come.⁣
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PS, the steam level: OFF THE RAILS 🚇 (get it? Like a subway? Ok, I’ll see myself out…)

When I saw that I was approved for an advanced copy of One Last Stop, I nearly cried. And started the book almost immediately.

OLS is beautiful. Each and every character is well-grounded, fleshed out, and I'm invested in all of their lives, so much so that I'm craving stories about each and every one of them. And the plot was just...*chef's kiss* so, so good.

This book means so much to me. Every word, every description, every moment...this was the book I needed for so long, the romcom I've always wanted to read. Red, White, and Royal Blue was great, but One Last stop is filled with so much passion and heart that it's easily my favorite of Casey McQuiston's books so far

Two words: Found family. Three more: Time travel heist. I don't know what I expected when I began this but I’m smiling from ear to ear and giggling happily all the way home. One Last Stop is a salve for the soul that has made my heart go all a-flutter. This is a book for the ones who have gotten too comfortable avoiding risk (and connection), but desperately want to break out of the same old habits. Here's your chance.
Here you'll find the same sort of laugh-out-loud moments of Red, White, and Royal Blue and the same hopeful catharsis in heartbreak and queer history. Here you'll find power and belonging and gentle, swoonworthy, *sexy* romance. Here you'll find epic drag queen names and a merry band of misfits that fit together like perfect puzzle pieces. This book is like magic - all you have to do is want something and let yourself have it (with a few bumps along the way). I highlighted all over. Read it, and you will too.

I absolutely adore Casey McQuiston’s debut book Red White and Royal Blue. Like I hardly ever shut up about it. So when I received a digital ARC of One Last Stop I obviously lost my sh*t and was in no way prepared for what would meet me in the pages. Casey McQuiston has a way of bringing love, joy, sadness, and character chemistry to life like no other. This book did that while sharing a unique and surprising love story.

One Last Stop brought an almost fantasy/sci-fi vibe to McQuiston's iconic style of writing which caught me off guard. It has psychics, drag queens, platonic intimacy that made me scream, and pure magic. While I think there are some aspects that could be tricky to wrap one's head around (time travel?), the characters and story really resonate with me as a queer millennial. I mean who hasn't interviewed with a potential roommate who said they can read your aura or lived with a psychic or a witch? Lord knows I have. It's that ability to vividly capture aspects of (some) queer experience that makes me keep coming back for more from McQuiston. I can’t recommend this book enough and can't wait for everyone to get to read this because it is a work of art.

Okay first of all thank you to @smpromance for sending me an e-ARC to review. I’ve desperately wanted to read this book and it exceeded all expectations!

I would like to use this time to say goodbye to all of bookstagram, it’s been real, it’s been nice ✌🏻 but I’m moving to New York to live on a subway. It is what it is.

August, our cynical realist MC with walls around her that have spikes on top and cannot be broken through, moves to NYC to live in a city where she can ultimately be alone and blend in. However, she friends a misfit group of queers as roommates and floor-mates and coworkers, AND she meets a suspiciously beautiful woman on her daily commute on the train 👀 cue sapphic shenanigans, a time slip from the 1970s, a FEW mysteries, the greatest diverse found family, millennial humor, gay yearning, and some queer history sprinkled in.

I loved this book. As a disclaimer this is NOT Red, White, & Royal Blue and I hope people keep that in mind when reading and reviewing. These are two individual books that deserve to stand on their own merits. And One Last Stop is an incredible story; one of longing and loneliness, of queer joy, found family, finding your purpose, and all of the really real 20-year-old thoughts and feelings. Plus some of these scenes left me 🥵🥵 we love a sapphic portrayal that is ON THE PAGE and sexy.

This is out 6/1 and I’ve already pre-ordered a copy. Trust me, you’ll want to, too. This is one I will read again and again and again. AND AGAIN!

Fun queer romance with a sci/fi twist and a dash of mystery. And a little derring-do. I think the time travel aspect will put some people off. Personally I found sci/fi and mystery detracting, and I love sci/fi. Would have been stronger to keep with the romance and develop side characters more. Great, funky characters; would love to see them each get their own book.

This book is so special. It's soft and full of heart. It's full of love and growing friendships. It's about finding your family in more than one way.

When Casey tweeted about a queer Kate & Leopold I was on board. I fully intend to read Red, White, and Royal Blue but when I got approved for an arc by St. Martin's Press (thank you!) it became one of the books I wanted to prioritize reading.

Reading this book I finished it feeling so comforted and my heart is so full.

I have not read Casey Mcquiston’s first novel because romances and books with male protagonists are not my thing. However, I thought I’d give this one a shot since since it featured a f/f relationship. it’s cute, with quirky likable characters.

This book was absolutely beautiful. I flew through it in two days and couldn't stop thinking about August and Jane's relationship.

I was actually partically blind going into this book. I was aware it was an LGBTQ+ story that took place in New York and that was about it. Honestly that was such a good idea on my part as when the 'time travel' element was thrown in, it took me completely by surprised and I was here for every second of it.
It was so nice to have a sapphic romance story where the fact the characters are gay is the main storyline, it's just apart of the story.

It was also great to see characters that were my own age and talking about and getting involved with things girls in their twenties do; rather than playing them off younger to make them more relatable to younger readers.

Future readers are in for a treat!

You can find my brief review in my story highlights on Instagram as well.

I loved One Last Stop nearly as much as McQuiston’s debut novel, Red, White & Royal Blue. The relationships feel so real and relatable. I cannot wait to pitch this to my customers!

It took a few chapters to get into this book but once I was in, I couldn't put it down. The premise of the story is very unique with a hint of science fiction. August and her roommates are are very realistic and relatable group of queer 20- somethings living in NYC and the book shares the story of being queer in the 70's well- showing the harsh truths as well as the good parts. While the story was not at all what I expected after reading Casey McQuiston's book Red, White, and Royal Blue, this book stayed true to the comedy and realistic portrayal of queer characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone but especially young queer people who want to see themselves accurately represented in a book.

Like so many of us, I was desperate to read Casey McQuiston's sophomore novel after falling head over heels for Red, White and Royal Blue. So much so, I guess, that I didn't even fully read the promo copy for this one because it was both totally Casey-esque and absolutely nothing like I expected. I love Casey's penchant for sarcastic commentary and pop culture references that feel realistic rather than overdone. This book is filled with diversity in every respect and the romances are very sex-positive and sweet. But... this is also a ghost story and a magical realism story and sort of detective thriller, all mixed in with a NYC-set contemporary featuring drag queens and Popeye's and so many rides on the Q train I was starting to get a little motion sick. I think if you loved Casey's first book you will absolutely have a good time reading this one, but if you want your contemporaries *very* contemporary, adjust your expectations going in!

I was really excited about this book. I loved Red, White, and Royal Blue with a passion! Wlw romances are so much harder to find and finding one that's creative and thoughtful is even harder. The characters were amazing, they were all bright stars in this story but I felt like the story just didn't click for me.

I loved Red, White & Royal Blue. It was fun and delightful and immersive. I was looking forward to One Last Stop but thought it was just ok. The characters were endearing but I didn't think they were as well developed as those in RW&RB. The time-travel/fantasy aspect of the novel also wasn't very compelling to me. That said, it was a quick and compelling read with likeable characters if that is what you are looking for!

I honestly don't think I have the words to describe exactly how much I love this book. RWRB is one of my favorite books of all time and One Last Stop has just shot right to the top with it.

First, I really loved August and a lot of the things that she felt or thought are things that I related to so hard. But all of these characters are amazing. I loved all of them, The entire gang is so fleshed out with their own quirks and relationships and how they interact with August is so personal to each. The found family in this book is STRONG and if you've ever longed for a queer found family of your own, I highly recommend picking this up because it'll give you all the warm feelings. And Casey McQuiston comes through again with the witty banter, which is always my favorite character interactions.

And y'all, the ROMANCE. I've said that RWRB is one of the most romantic books I've read and One Last Stop has to be the one full of the most yearning. The pining, the songs, the "let's kiss for RESEARCH", it's all so good. And the LOVE CONFESSIONS. They shot into my heart and I will never not being thinking of them. I love Jane and August so much.

The heart of this story is love- between Jane and August, between friends, between family (both found and blood), the love of a city. And how this love can help solve mysteries, even ones that span decades. I know I've talked about RWRB a bit in this review, but I sincerely hope that people don't go into One Last Stop hoping to find rwrb. These are different books that pull out different emotions and I just want people to go in able to love One Last Stop on its own terms.

This book was such a delight to read and it had the author's signature witty banter and I could not have loved it more. The characters were so vivid and full of warmth. The setting was perfectly written and I felt like I was there. It was a book that was so alive.

This book lived up to the Casey McQuiston hype that I forever hold in my heart. This is absolutely the happy F/F story I needed in the absolute worst year. The story was so full, and despite the problems the main characters faced, I didn't feel uncomfortable or terrible about their sexuality. Thank you, thank you, thank you.